seven suppers: walnut pesto with spaghetti squash.

i am a huge pesto fan. huge. i was curious how a vegan one would work, but when i found this amazing recipe from 22 days vegan challenge, i was stoked, and then hooked. it is obvs vegan, also gluten & soy free. the recipe is so simple, and the pesto is so flavorful and filling. the only substitution that i make is that i use flaxseed meal instead of nutritional yeast, and it tastes great. this pesto can be eaten cold, room temp or heated. last night i made the pesto with some roasted spaghetti squash, along with some roasted eggplant, red bell pepper, and some black olives. a very easy, quick dinner.

ingredients:

for the pesto: 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

2 1/2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

1 large garlic clove

1 tablespoon lemon zest

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup nutritional yeast (or flaxseed meal)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

for the veggies: 1 spaghetti squash, cut length wise in half

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small eggplant

1 red bell pepper

1 can chopped olives

directions:

preheat the oven to 425

cut the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds & top layer of stringy flesh

line a baking sheet with foil

drizzle the squash with olive oil and place face down on the foil lined sheet

roast until tender & flesh can be scraped out (like small noodles) with a fork, about 1 hour

cut eggplant into small rounds and cut bell pepper into matchsticks, drizzle with olive oil & place on baking sheet. add to oven about 15 minutes before squash is done

make the pesto. grind walnuts in food processor until finely ground

add in basil and pulse until it forms a coarse mixture

add the garlic, lemon zest and juice, and nutritional yeast (or flax meal), and pulse a few more times. turn motor on and run as you add olive oil in a thin stream. add salt & pepper to taste